Ai+ Nova 2 5G Review: Budget 5G Phone for the Masses

The smartphone market is in shambles and if you're on the lookout for a decent entry-level 5G smartphone for a parent or a younger sibling, those inflated price tags are terrifying. That's why when the Ai+ Nova 2 5G launched for under Rs 10,000 as this perfect budget 5G smartphone on paper, it instantly caught my attention. So, I ditched my flagship phone and decided to move to this entry-level phone full-time. And after spending about two weeks with this phone, here's what I think in this detailed Ai+ Nova 2 5G review. 

Unboxing

The Ai+ Nova 2 5G box contents don't feel like those of an entry-level phone and you are heavily sorted on all fronts. Here's a quick rundown:

• Ai+ Nova 2 5G smartphone
• 10W charger
• USB-C to USB-A cable
• TPU case
• Pre-applied screen protector
• SIM ejector tool
• Paperwork

Moving on, before we get into the detailed review, here's a quick look at the Ai+ Nova 2 5G specifications for your reference:

Ai+ Nova 2 5G Key Details

Processor

Unisoc T8200

• Mali-G57 MC2

Display

6.74" (120Hz)

• HD+ IPS LCD
• SDR

Rear Camera

50MP (Wide-angle)

EIS

4K@30fps

RAM/Storage

4GB (LPDDR4X)

• 64GB (eMMC 5.1)

Battery

6000mAh (Lithium Polymer)

• 18Watt (wired)
• Charger in the box

Front Camera

8MP (Wide)

• 4k@30fps

Design

Glass (Front)

• Plastic (Back)
• Plastic Frame (Side)
• IP64 (Dust and Water Resistant)

OS

Android (NxtQuantum OS)

• 1 year(s) of OS Update

See full specifications

Build and Design

• 168.04 x 77.7 x 8.7mm
• 205 grams
• IP64 rating

For its price, the Ai+ Nova 2 5G is surprisingly neat and good-looking. I have with me the black colour option of the phone and it's quite sleek. The glossy plastic back with its glittery finish adds to the aesthetics heavily, making the phone look a little more premium than its price segment. 

I also like how the phone's design mostly follows a modern template and adds just enough personality with touches like a red-accented power button. The buttons are also tactile and well-seated. 

The phone is also quite heavy and thick at 205 grams and 8.7mm, respectively. As a result, it's not the easiest phone to operate with one hand. Even with my big hands, I had some trouble getting a grip and even dropped it once. 

It was then that I realised the phone's build quality is reliable. While there's a plastic back, it doesn't flex much. In fact, I did spill some water on the phone and it worked fine, so that IP64 rating is a great bonus for us clumsy folks. 

However, it's unapologetically prone to fingerprints and smudges. There were also some micro scratches by the end of week one, but that was primarily due to my rough handling. However, I didn't spot any dents or anything major despite having dropped it.

Display and Audio Quality

• 6.74-inch HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) 120 Hz LCD display
• Up to 600 nits of maximum brightness

It's at the front that the phone's entry-level pricing is an instant giveaway. The bezels all around are about as thick as the one on the Pixel 10a (sorry, Google) and the chin is an entire continent on its own. However, these are some known caveats of entry-level smartphones. 

But the display is big and crisp enough that neither texts or images appear awkwardly pixelated. I binge-watched an episode of The Boys Season 5 and didn't have any complaints with the experience. Of course, you won't get the punch of an AMOLED panel, but for an LCD, the colours are good enough.

Additionally, the viewing angles are also decent and do not discolour the contents of the screen unrecognisably. However, right out of the box, the display's default tuning is blueish and I had to tweak it a little. 

As expected, brightness levels aren't great and you'll have trouble viewing it outdoors. While there's a dedicated Sunlight mode to help a bit, it won't feel enough during those super sunny days. Then again, that's expected from an LCD display in the segment.

The main problem I had was with the Ai+ Nova 2 5G single bottom-firing speakers. While the audio output is loud, it's completely flat. It even crackles at higher volumes, making the experience not exactly ideal.

As a result, I had to take to my earphones, but the best thing is, since the phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack, I could easily connect my IEMs to it without requiring a converter. 

Performance Tested

• Unisoc T8200 chipset
• Up to 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage
• Expandable storage up to 1 TB via microSD card slot

Going in, I knew the Ai+ Nova 2 5G wouldn't impress me with its raw speed. However, in day-to-day usage, it feels very comfortable. Hunting through X all day for news stories, replying to messages on Slack and WhatsApp, scrolling Instagram, it all worked very well.

I didn't face any severe lags or stutters that could disrupt the experience. Of course, you wouldn't want to have 20-30 apps running in the background, but you can juggle between 5 or so apps comfortably.

Gaming, though, quickly reminded me of where the limits are. I tried a few rounds of BGMI and CoD Mobile and while it's playable on low to medium settings, anything higher starts to feel sluggish.

I had a bit of trouble with CoD Mobile's Battle Royale mode, as textures had a bit of a tough time loading and the back of the phone started heating up quickly. It didn't get uncomfortably hot, but just something to note. Casual gaming is fine but I wouldn't rely on this to carry me through matches like a pro. 

Those benchmark numbers put the processor almost on par with the Dimensity 6300 chipset. Now, given how some phones like the Vivo Y11 5G and Oppo A6 Pro 5G are powered by the Dimensity 6300 while costing significantly more, the Unisoc T8200 does feel like a blessing in that case. That said, here's a quick rundown of those numbers:

Cameras Reviewed

• 50 MP primary rear camera with f/1.8 aperture
• LED Flash
• Up to 4K @ 30 FPS video recording

The Ai+ Nova 2 5G keeps things straightforward with a 50 MP primary rear camera and an 8 MP front camera and the results are as expected, decent. 

In well-lit conditions, the main camera does a good job. Shots come out sharp enough with slightly faded colours. A little manual tweak in the contrast levels instantly makes it shareable. Exposure is mostly on point, though dynamic range is just average, as bright highlights can get blown out in tricky scenes. Still, for everyday photography, it's consistent and easy to rely on. 

Once night time kicks in, the limitations start to show. Detail takes a hit and a lot of noise creeps in. The dedicated night mode doesn't help much either and for the most part, it's safe to say you won't be using those night shots anywhere.

The 8 MP selfie shooter is serviceable and fine for video calls or casual shots. However, you won't be going out of your way to use it. What's impressive is that the Ai+ Nova 2 offers 4K @ 30 FPS video recording through the main camera, which is very rare in this segment. 

Software

• Android 16 OS
• NxtQuantum OS skin

While the fact that you're getting Android 16 out of the box in this segment in itself is impressive, the NxtQuantum OS experience was not too bad either. In a segment flooded with cluttered skins and questionable preloads, the software experience is very clean. Apart from the much-needed Google apps and the Clean Assistant, Phone Management, and Phone Clone apps, there's no bloat here. 

The UI in itself is familiar in some ways and you will see sprinkles of ColorOS here and there, especially the control centre. However, it does require a bit of polish to look modern enough. There are barely any animations in the UI and as a result, it feels a touch less fluid and responsive than more refined skins. 

Now, while I did notice some minor stutters here and there, for the most part, the software experience remained smooth. Ai+ also integrated some haptic feedback in places, like the lock/unlock animation and when browsing through apps in the recent apps panel.

The standout feature is the NxtPrivacy Dashboard, which actively scans installed apps and shows you exactly what data they're accessing in real time. It's a good transparency feature to have and the bonus widget lets you view all the details and turn it on/off from your homescreen itself. 

The Ai+ Nova 2 5G also packs in all the essential software features like App Lock, a dedicated Game Mode, Private Space and more. Now, while the brand does promise 1 year of Android OS updates and 3 years of security patches, given how new the brand is, only time will tell if it can stick to its schedule. 

Battery and Charging

• 6,000mAh battery
• 18W fast charging support

I didn't play too many games, nor do anything too extensive with the Ai+ Nova 2 5G. Instead, I had a mixed usage of doomscrolling on Instagram and Facebook, streaming some videos on YouTube, taking calls and some camera use.

At night, I also played about half an hour of some CoD Mobile and that's about it. With all that, the phone managed to deliver roughly around 8 hours of screen-on-time, which is good enough and can easily last you about a day. 

Charging, on the other hand, is a slow affair. With 18W wired charging and only a 10W adapter in the box, using which took me about 2 hours and 15 minutes to go from 10–100%. 

Ai+ Nova 2 5G: Should You Buy It?

The Ai+ Nova 2 5G tries to tick all the boxes in a segment where it's difficult to do so. From that 50 MP primary camera and a big 6,000mAh battery to a 120 Hz HD+ display and reliable 5G-capable chipset, it punches well above phones under Rs 10,000.

On top of it all, the phone features a neat and clean software experience for the most part. While the slow charging and average night-time optimisation of cameras can be a dealbreaker for some, considering the price, these feel like minor caveats.

The Poco C75 5G is another great option for the same asking price, if you are okay with a much smaller 5,160mAh battery and a toned-down 5 MP selfie camera. In case a bigger 7,000mAh battery is what you are looking for, there's the Realme P4 Lite 5G for around Rs 2,000 more, but it features a 13 MP rear camera. But the Ai+ Nova 2 5G hits the sweet spot in terms of price and specifications, making it the perfect all-rounder in the segment if your budget is too tight. 

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₹10,999

Out of Stock

Disclaimer: The price & specs shown may be different from actual. Please confirm on the retailer site before purchasing.